Doctor Who: The Immortals
by Lennora
Summary: The Doctor returns to Equestria and drags the newly-returned Princess Luna to Fillydelphia to figure out why so many ponies are disappearing.
1. Chapter 1

It was a dark night that let the full moon shine with brilliant white light. The moonlight shone through many windows that lined one side of an ornately decorated room. Within the room the light reflected off of the walls and floors of white marble giving the room a dim luminosity. Even the darkest of corners were touched by the light. The room, if it could be called that, was huge. From the floor to the ceiling there was a good thirty feet of room. From the very large double door, decorated with a stylized image of the sun, to the semi-circular shaped wall with the windows was close to fifty feet of space. Needless to say, the room was large enough to hold a small pegasus race.

In the middle of the room lay a very large, round bed. Surrounding the bed was a red carpet which led to the door. Four pillars flanked the carpet on its path from the door to the bed, two on each side, both made of the same white marble as the rest of the room. Within the bed was a barely stirring shape, a simple rise and fall of motion giving away that it was resting quietly. The resting form was that of Princess Celestia, her multi-hued mane settled in around her and her wings tucked loosely against her sides. The equine figure of the princess was full of grace, even in slumber. Her head was facing one of the walls of the room, one would assume she had fallen asleep gazing at the pictures and images on said wall.

This wall was lined with an elaborate mural that stretched from the door, and almost reached the windows. The beautiful designs managed to remain both elegantly crafted and simply depicted. The mural began with two alicorn, one white framed by the sun, and one dark framed by the moon. It told through images a tale of the two alicorn ruling over the land peacefully, rising the sun and the moon respectively for the many small equines that were shown among the land. After the peace shown there was a section devoted to the white alicorn engaged in battle with the other. The alicorn responsible for the moon looked different from before, decidedly more menacing, even on the mural. The white alicorn was shown to defeat the other with the power of six floating gems. After the section of turmoil spread a story of the white alicorn ruling over the lands peacefully, assuming the role of raising the moon as well as the sun. The latest edition was of six different colored equines surrounded by an aura of light, seemingly firing a chromatic beam of light toward the same alicorn that was depicted earlier in the mural. After that was a piece of the mural that was still being worked on, it seemed to be a repeat of the earlier pictographs where each alicorn sat in front of its respective celestial body. This time, however, they seemed much closer, even conveying a happiness through the mural.

Two things remained constant in the mural, the white alicorn and the sun. Other things were present, of course, but they were mostly just shapes of the land and the equines that lived within. However, there was one very distinct object that would stand out to even a passive viewer of the combined art and history display. The object in question was a blue rectangle with what appeared to be windows near the top. The rectangle was located near the section of battle between Celestia and the dark alicorn. The box was simply displayed there, but it was far too large on the mural to be simply background art. Near the box was a stallion with a brown coat and darker brown mane. His similarly brown eyes seemed to be fixed intently on the battle. In between his teeth there was a small tool, and one end was lit up with a bright blue light, pointing it toward the battle between the alicorns. After this glimpse of the box, however, it's not seen again on the mural, nor is the stallion with the strange glowing tool.

Without warning the air in the room started to shift and turn. Wind seemed to be blowing through the room soon enough, and not long after it could only be described as a gale. The wind itself felt warm, unnaturally so, nothing like the warmth of the sun. The smell of the wind was something that burned the nostrils, and it could only be described as the smell of lightning striking a little too close. A strange noise accompanied the gusting gale, and in the large room it was given an echoing quality. The sound itself was a high-pitched _woosh_ followed by a low _thump_. This noise became louder and louder until suddenly stopping, and as the noise died so did the gusting stop. As all this was happening a big blue box not unlike the one on the mural just _materialized_ in between the mural and the bed in the center of the room.

Of course, all this excitement awoke the occupant of the room. Celestia had awoke with a start as soon as she heard that noise, and as the box was materializing a smile crept across her snout. She stretched and yawned as the box continued to appear before her very eyes, seeming to drop in and out of reality with the noise until fully solidifying before her. She righted herself, already knowing what the box was, and who was about to step out of the doors.

A rumble and a crash came from within the box, and soon after the doors opened. There stood a bipedal figure framed by a bright light coming from within the box. It took a step forward on its two legs and then seemed to shimmer for a second or two. After the distortion stopped the figure seemed to have shrunk considerably, and was now on four legs. The doors behind the figure swung close, cutting off the bright light, and letting Celestia see that the figure was now one of the ponies she was so familiar with.  
>The colt standing before her with a cheery smile on his face needed no introductions. The brown coat was familiar, the wavy mane was new, however, far different from the wild, fluffed up mane depicted in the mural. The eyes were new, as well, no longer the dark brown but instead hazel. The thing that brought the most attention, however, was the silly looking red bow tie around the colt's neck. Not that it mattered, Celestia knew this colt well. She knew the colt would have an hourglass cutie mark, she knew this colt came from the planet Gallifrey located in the constellation Kasterborous. Perhaps most importantly, however, she knew this colt was the Doctor, the last of the Time Lords, and that knowledge made the smile on her muzzle spread even further.<p>

"Hello, Celly!" the colt said in a cheery high pitched voice. The Doctor already had a silly grin on his snout that managed to brighten just a little more at the sight of Celestia's own happy expression. He tilted his head to the side and gave a mischievous wink before proudly proclaiming the obvious. "I'm back!"

The ornate door that led outside of the room burst inwards and there in golden armor stood two stocky white guard ponies.

"Princess, we-.. intruder!" One of the guardscolts said as they were charging the Doctor, clear to tackle him.

"Halt, Captain." Celestia spoke, she did not raise her voice, but there was an undeniable firmness within the words only barely noticeable under the ever calm and warm tone. Both ponies stopped in their tracks but continued to eye the colt in the tie wearily. "This colt is a very old friend of mine, Captain, there is no need for such an alarm."

"Hello, I'm the Doctor!" said colt spoke up, lifting a forelimb to wag at the two guards in some sort of greeting, "Ah, hooves, right. I'll have to get used to those, again."

The guards didn't respond at first, still eying the Doctor. They both gave him one last quizzical look before they both turned to their monarch. "Excuse the intrusion, Princess." the Captain spoke before he and his compatriot made their way out, closing the door as they did.

"They can be very protective, but that is their job." Celestia said before rising off the bed and standing to her full height.

"I could swear they were wearing the exact same armor the last time I was here," the Doctor said, before tilting his head, "speaking of, when _was_ the last time I was here?"

"Oh a thousand and-then-some years." said the white alicorn as she turned her attention to a neatly sorted assortment of accessories near her bed. She began slipping her hooves into the golden hoofguards while they spoke.

"I'm usually a bit more memorable than a 'then-some years.' I must be losing my touch. Granted when you're immortal you have the right to forget some things from time to time." The Doctor spoke while he took a look about. There was no furniture in the room besides the bed and a few pillows on the ground near to said bed. "You're rather bland for a princess, you know. Where's the extravagant dressers and silver hairbrushes? A princess without hairbrushes, tha-" a small flash cut him off and drew his attention back to Celestia. Her horn was faintly glowing and there, held in the grip of a telekinesis spell was an old but well-cared for gold hairbrush which was being run through her flowing mane.

"You were saying, Doctor?" Celestia said, allowing herself a little grin. One of the many reasons she was fond of the strange time-and-space traveling pony was his enthusiasm, and she knew full well the reaction showing off her magic would give. Her little grin grew just a tiny bit as his reaction began.

"Oh, magic, I keep forgetting all these wonderful things. That is _brilliant!_" The Doctor took a step forward toward the sun goddess, watching the brush as it was moved by little more than a faint glow that surrounded it. "Not really magic, of course, that's just belittling. Telekinetic abilities relying heavily on the use of a subtle part of the brain linked to your horn. That's the reason it glows, obviously."

"Yes, obviously." Celestia said with a tone that could be taken as sarcasm, before the brush was placed back under the bed. Her next target of the magical movement was her crown and mantle. After placing both of those on, still receiving looks from the Doctor similar to that of a child in a toy store as she did, she made her way to the door. "You're just in time, Doctor."

"Really?" The colt asked, broken from his trance by her voice, "Just in time for what?"

"Sunrise." The doors opened as Celestia spoke the words, they moved by the two guards that had burst into the room earlier. Both stood straight and at alert even before the two walked past, but both could not keep their curious glances off of the Doctor.

"That's right, immortal goddess of the sun and all. Oh, I absolutely can't wait. This must be one of my lucky days." The brown colt said.

Both the Princess of the Sun and the Time Lord made their way down stretches of hallway keeping an equal stride with each other. The Doctor remained quiet, eying all of the scenery as they passed it, something akin to awe on his face as they did. Of course, it wasn't awe, awe wasn't something you felt often after traveling time and the stars for close to a thousand years, but it was close. There were no servants out and about given the early hour, but the two did pass a few guards on their rounds. The few guards they did pass did their best to not openly stare at the Doctor, and to their credit, they did very well. Most reasoned the colt must have been some sort of noble, despite the silly bow tie and the fact they had never seen him around the castle before. As they passed the guards simply took note of the colt's cutie mark, just in case, and moved on.

Finally Celestia stopped in front of a large double door set. While it was not nearly as emblazoned as the door to Celestia's chambers, it was decorated in a similar fashion, albeit a much simpler design. One door was a creamy white color, with a gold trim and a half sun in the middle. Mirroring this exactly was the its other door, which was a rich dark blue hue with silver lining and a half moon to complete the sun, both semi-circle celestial bodies forming a full circle. Both doors seemed to glow faintly for a split second form Celestia's magic, then swung outwards to reveal a balcony. The Doctor and Celestia both stepped out onto the balcony and the doors closed softly behind them.

Before them lay the entire city of Canterlot, which was very quiet at this hour. It was very peaceful, not a part of the city seemed to be moving, everypony resting comfortably. Beyond Canterlot the Doctor could make out rolling hills and small hamlets here and there, a river ran lazily through the hills and completed the idyllic image. Not far to the left of these hills was a large, wild-looking forest which spanned a sizable area. In the distance the last things he could see of the land were snow-capped mountains which spread across a small portion of the horizon. While this balcony gave an excellent view of Equestria, it gave an even more superb view of the night sky. It was a clear night and the stars twinkled and glistened brilliantly. The Doctor could see constellations and planets amongst the dark sky, but the thing that stood out the most was a beautiful band of stars that spread across the entire sky, an arm of the galaxy for all of Equestria to see. The moon was behind him, but he was perfectly content with the stars above him.  
>"I could never make the stars shine quite as bright as Luna does." Celestia said wistfully, also gazing above. "No matter what I tried it never truly came out so perfect. My sister is an artist with the stars, she is the goddess of the moon so it should be no surprise, but her sky always manages to take my breath away."<br>The Doctor, once again broken from a reverie, tilted his head, "Sister? Ah, yes... Luna. Her time is up, then? Everything went according to plan?"

"Yes, everything I hoped for and more. The Elements freed Luna of the being and she is currently adjusting to life here on Equestria. The only unfortunate thing is that she keeps herself locked away in her tower with books and tomes, reading up on the the thousand years she missed." Celestia gave a small sigh after she spoke, "She refuses to rule by my side until she is completely caught up, by her standards I fear that will take some time."

The Doctor's brow was furrowed, just slightly, "And you're sure it's gone? That being can be very... persistent."

"It is gone, Doctor," an almost undetectable twinge of doubt made its way into Celestia's confident tone, "I am sure of it."

The Doctor didn't seem convinced, "Let's hope so.." After a split second he visibly brightened, "I'm sure she'll be fine. Now then, lighter things, you promised a sun-raising... Hah, lighter things, sun raising." A grin spread across his snout.

Celestia couldn't help but give a small chuckle at the rather lame joke. "Yes, I shouldn't keep Equestria waiting."

The avatar of the sun took a strong stance, bracing herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then another, and one following that. Her horn began to glow with a soft yellow light that was very pronounced in the dark. The small light soon began to flare brighter and brighter as the seconds passed to the point the Doctor actually had to avert his gaze or be blinded. The act of raising the sun was second nature to Celestia, she had done it more times than she cared to remember and at this point she could cast her spell by pure instinct. She reached out with her magic and 'touched' the sun and as she did a familiar feeling spread through her body. She felt the sun's warmth, but with no harshness; and in her mind's eye she could see the sun's radiance, but with no glare. She savored the sensation as she went about her work of beckoning the sun to rise.

All in all the process took no more than three minutes but as it occurred the sky rapidly changed from black, to purple, to light blue as the sun broke the horizon. While Celestia cast her spell the Doctor had been watching the horizon, partly to avoid the blinding light coming from the alicorn's horn, but mostly to witness the sunrise. In the back of the Doctor's mind a very quiet, logical part of him was saying that what the alicorn behind him was doing was impossible. That Celestia moving a _star_ around the cosmos with what she deemed as _magic_ was so absurd that it defied comprehension. The rest of the Doctor, however, wasn't listening. This is what the Doctor lived for, moments like these in his long, long life. Beautiful and fleeting and _impossible _moments like this. As he watched the sun break the horizon and appear over the mountains his eyes went wide with joy and his face was bearing the largest smile he had managed in some time. The Doctor was feeling pure joy and exuberance as he was watching this, but there was one other feeling that was very apparent, one that he didn't feel so often anymore.

The Doctor, last of the Time Lords, was _in awe_.

Celestia's horn dimmed until it stopped shining altogether. For a moment, she stood there, watching the Doctor as he sat perfectly still and gazed at the sunrise.

"That.. was.. _amazing._" The Doctor said very quietly before turning his head and giving her a glimpse of his smile that spread from ear-to-ear. He turned his whole body around, "Thank you, thank you so much."

"I thought you might like that." Celestia said with a hint of amusement coming out of her serene voice. She was genuinely happy to have made the Doctor feel such emotion, she wanted to bring such joy to everypony's life as often as she could. When she succeeded in doing so she felt a feeling not unlike that of the warmth that she felt just moments ago.

The moment was brought to an end by the Doctor's stomach. It let forth an audible grumble, and the Doctor looked down before bringing his head back up, a sheepish look on it. "I don't suppose breakfast is being served soon? Temporal illusion energies tend to make one a bit peckish.. "

"As it happens it is going to be served once we reach the dining room. Come along, it's not far." Celestia turned and opened the double doors with her magic as she spoke, "Luna should be joining us there, as well. While we eat perhaps you can tell me what brought you back to Equestria, Doctor; or share some of your adventures with me." She looked back at him and smiled, "I'm sure you have some interesting tales you can tell."

The Doctor caught up to Celestia and matched her stride. He flashed a grin, "Oh, Celly, you don't know the half of it."


	2. Chapter 2

She felt weightless, like there was no worry in the world while she was floating amongst the stars. She looked around at the celestial objects, and on her slightest whim they moved. She amused herself for awhile, making shapes and figures. Some were complex and some were just silly. She felt warm while encased in the night. She was content, something she had not felt in some time. A voice spoke, seemingly from nowhere. It was soft, soothing, just above a whisper.

"_I'm still here, little one.."_

Suddenly the stars no longer reacted to her wishes. They unwound from her latest creation and returned to their rightful places, they did not stay this way for long, however. As the stars moved themselves into a new position the same voice spoke. It was still quiet, but there was a distinct edge to it this time, and she could feel the warmth she felt drain away as it said its next words.

"_You'll never be rid of me.."_

A new shape took up her entire field of vision, it was that of an equine head, and the two brightest stars in the sky had settled into the eye sockets. The face was all too familiar to her, and a feeling of dread settled itself in her stomach. The mouth on the snout spoke in sync with the voice she heard.

"_You're so alone, little one.. Always skulking about ancient tomes and withered scrolls._

_You say you want to learn, but really we both know why you avoid the others._

_You're afraid. You don't want to slip up, like so long ago._

_But, you will. And when you do, I will be there."_

The equine's lips curled into a wicked grin as it finished speaking. Now its tone was condescending, as if speaking to a child. She could feel the darkness close in on her as fear paralyzed her entire body. Only when she could feel her binds did she begin to struggle.

"_I will be there to take you as my own once more. You will always be mine._

_I will return and you, as my pawn, will bring my dream to fruition._

_I will return and your nightmare will be realized._

_Eternal night will reign over Equestria."_

She flailed her limbs about in an attempt to free herself, but it was no use. The darkness was too strong. She opened her mouth and tried to cry out, but no sound came. Her defiance weakened and tears born from helplessness soon streaked from her eyes. The equine face raised its head high and shrill laughter filled her ears. She gave one final burst of energy and strained her legs every which way possible. After just a second of this she felt a sharp pain in the back of head, and then went limp. Even as the darkness fully enveloped her she could still clearly hear the laughter echoing within her mind.

The first thing Princess Luna became aware of when she awoke was a dull throbbing of pain from the back of her head. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear her vision. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when she did she was glad to see she was in her personal study. She was on her back staring up at the ceiling that was some twenty feet above her. She slowly rolled onto her side and stood up, giving a small groan of pain as he headache's intensity increased with the effort.

Luna glanced around at the bookcases that lined the walls. While she would call it a study it was really more of a personal library. Shelves upon shelves of books and scrolls, ancient and modern, were neatly organized about the room. She was in the center of the circular room along with a dark wooden desk and a soft sofa. The sofa's lining was made of rich purple silk and the innards was some sort of comforting material that adjusted to fit her shape while retaining its own should she step off. The desk was facing the doorway that led out of the library. It was a finely crafted piece of furniture that was made of sturdy wood and otherwise unadorned except for a stylized image of the moon on the front of it. It was rather large, but Luna's telekinesis made up for what she couldn't reach with hooves.

The princess of the moon managed a surprised gasp at the state of her desk. Compared to the surrounding order on the shelves the desk was unnaturally messy. An ink bottle was tilted to its side and its contents had ruined a stack of parchment. A stack of books that was once piled in a corner of the desk was scattered near the desk on the floor. Somehow her quill had managed to find itself under the desk, along with a good deal of wrinkled parchment. Her very own black abacus was off to the side of the sofa and to her relief looked to still be working condition.

Luna set about cleaning her desk area, moving multiple objects at the same time with her magic. The work was easy, even with a throbbing migraine. First the ink mess was cleaned and disposed of, followed by placing the books back in a neat stack. Next she placed her quill and the parchment sheets in the center of the desk, the quill laying on top of the sheets. As her last act she carefully picked up the abacus and moved it in front of her to inspect it before she set it down. Just as the base of the ancient device was about to touch the desk the memory of the nightmare Luna had just had shot through her mind. She processed it all in an instant and her emotions flared, which caused her to simultaneously lose control of the spell and intensify the magical power she was putting into it. The unintentional result was her flinging the abacus across the room and it breaking on the wall near the doorway. Before realizing what she had done Luna had let forth a shudder, and then a long, drawn out sigh.

The moon goddess slowly walked around the desk and made her way over to the wreckage of the abacus, inspecting the remains. The frame had split in two and most of the wires had snapped. Black beads were all over the floor, some still rolling about. Luna shook her head and decided she would clean up later and that right now she needed some fresh air before she made things worse. The throbbing then reminded her she also needed something for her headache. She opened the door with her magic and immediately closed her eyes as bright sunlight invaded the dimly lit study. After the pain had subsided she slowly opened her eyes and stepped out of the study, closing the door behind her.

Luna's room was very similar to her sister's. There was a semi-circle of windows, four pillars, a bed in the middle of the room, a long carpet to the doorway. The difference was that where Celestia had warm colors Luna's room was all shades of cool blues or blacks. The carpet was a deep blue that matched the sheets on the bed. The marble floors and walls were a polished black. The main door was also the polar opposite of Cleestia's, the double doors had a simple but elegant crescent moon framed by stars. Aside from the color switch, Luna had no mural of Equestria's history, but she did have a side door that led out to a balcony where her personal telescope was set up. A very unique touch, however, was that the ceiling was enchanted to look like the night sky, and stars twinkled above her head even during the day.  
><em>I'm going to be late for breakfast, also..<em> Luna thought as she made her way to the door that led out to the rest of the castle.

As she left the room the two guards that were outside straightened and greeted, "Princess," in the same second.

Luna didn't want to show her distress so she put on a smile, "Good morning, Phalanx, Buckler." She said, bowing her head only slightly as a form of greeting.

Both of the guards dipped down on their forelegs at the gesture, bowing their heads low. "Good morning, Princess Luna." Came the reply, once more from both of them.

Luna kept the smile on her face and decided to leave the words at that before making her way down the hall. When she had left both guards straightened, returning to their duty, but not without some conversation.

"She actually knows our names?" The white earth pony named Buckler said to his fellow guardscolt.

"Of course she does, the princess treats everypony with respect and loves them all just as equally as her sister." Came the response from the white unicorn.

"She's stuck in the tower all the time, though. She's not nearly as.. social as her sister." Buckler remarked.

"The princess feels she has a lot to catch up with and a lot to make up for. She did miss one thousand years of Equestria. I believe she just wishes to be as fully prepared as possible. Now, let's find a new topic of discussion, we do the princess a disservice by speaking of her behind her back." Phalanx finished, giving a small nod to reinforce his statement.

"Ever the pinnacle of formality, Phalanx." Buckler chuckled before changing the topic.

~~~~~~~

Luna had made her way down the tower and into the castle proper, navigating the corridors by instinct. One of the first things she did when returning was familiarizing herself with the castle layout. She knew quite well where she was going, though it was still an odd experience. Nothing was the way she remembered it, though that was to be expected after the length of her absence. Finally she rounded the last corner and there, midway down the hall and on her left, was the door to the private dining room Luna and her sister shared. It was a quiet morning and as she approached the door she slowed a little at hearing a colt's voice, which she could swear was coming from within the dining room.

"- finally I'd met someone named Alonso! It was like Christmas! Well.. it was Christmas, actually. Anyways, allons-y Alonso! It was brilliant." Luna heard the voice say. She quietly stepped as close to the door as she dared and leaned in, listening. "These muffins are delicious, by the way. So is the fruit, even the apples, and I don't even like apples." There was a pause where the voice must have stopped to take a bite, Luna reasoned. "Oh, and if you felt a bit wibbly a few days ago, that's my fault. Time sort of happened all at once.. It was very timey wimey. Most people wouldn't notice a difference, but immortal beings normally aren't most people."

A part of Luna's mind picked up on the colt saying 'people' instead of 'ponies.' At the moment, however, her curiosity was overriding her attention to detail. She very quickly came to the conclusion that the only way to find out who this colt was, was to open the door and see for herself. Luna's horn lit up a dark purple and the door opened inward, allowing her a view of the room as a whole, including the table and the windows beyond it.

The table itself wasn't very large, length of about ten feet from end to end; it was only meant for about six people at max. Luna and Celestia sat at opposite ends with room along the sides for a small meeting, should there be need of one. There was a spread of fruit, baked goods, and tea set out on the table, half of which was gone. Celestia was at her usual seat and had seemingly finished with breakfast, only a tea cup was still levitating before her. Seated in the middle of the table, facing the doorway, was a brown colt with a half-full plate in front of him. The Doctor had a muffin clumsily wrapped in a hoof and was just about to take another bite of it before stopping at the door opening.

"Welcome, sister. We've been waiting for you. You look tired, Luna, did you rest well?" Celestia spoke up first.

Luna felt like all eyes were on her, which both pairs were. "Yes, I slept well enough," she lied before looking over to the Doctor. "You are?"

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. You're Luna, yes? Oh, my.. so old, but in such a young body. Sort of like me, then!" The colt said with cheer before taking a bite of the muffin.

Luna would've remarked that she was _Princess_ Luna, but the last remark caught her off guard. Instead she settled for a raised brow directed at Celestia.

Celestia's only reply was a small grin before taking a sip of her tea. Luna gave a little huff at not being answered, but chose to sit down quietly. She started gathering a small amount of food before her with her magic. Two freshly baked rolls and a pear landed on the plate before her, as did a cup of hot tea. Before she took a bite, however, she looked over at the Doctor.

"I was unaware we _princesses _needed a doctor." Luna spoke before blowing on the tea and taking a sip. Instantly she could feel some of the pressure of her headache melt away with the warm liquid.

"No no, I'm _the_ Doctor. It's what people call me, and what I call me, as it so happens." The colt said with a smile before another munch on his muffin.

After a second of silence and a deadpan expression from Luna, she turned to Celestia with a raised brow. "Who is he?"

This time Celestia answered, "A very old friend, sister. He's just as he says he is, the Doctor. If you wish to know more he will be able to enlighten you." She took another sip.

"I see I won't be getting a straight answer from you." Luna sighed, then looked to the colt, who was still enjoying his baked good. "Doctor, would you be so kind as to tell me why it is my sister seems to think so highly of you?"

The Doctor had stopped his muffin munching near the end of Luna's question, his attention turned to the guard that had just rushed in from the servant's entrance. The guardscolt gave a quick bow before rushing over to Celestia and offering a scroll. The scroll was taken in Celestia's telekinesis and the guardscolt left as quickly as he had entered. Celestia unrolled the parchment and began to read, and as her eyes scanned the page her face visibly darkened.

"Something tells me you're about to find out the answer to your question yourself, Luna.." The Doctor said sideways to the moon princess. He leaned forward, breakfast completely forgotten.

When Celestia finished with the letter she levitated it in between the Doctor and Luna for them to see. "I think this matter may require your expertise, Doctor. Read it."

The colt hunched himself over the scroll and scanned it quickly. Luna frowned, her own sister had asked this strange colt for help over herself. For the briefest second she could feel old emotions rising within in her before being swiftly repressed. Luna inwardly berated herself for such a mistake, she had changed, and was determined to not go back. She let her emotions go and decided to focus on the problem at hand by leaning in to read the scroll. She noted to her self that it really wasn't a scroll, but a typed letter in too-neatly printed font.

To Canterlot Palace Authorities,

This will be a short message. We have a problem on our hooves that we won't be able to address on our own. Equestria overall has a low crime rate, things like murder are few and far between anymore. However, recently the Fillydelphia Guard has been receiving an influx of reported disappearances. These missing ponies' reports come in about twice a week, but when guardscolts are sent to check up on the report the reporters seem to have no recollection of ever filing such a claim. While strange, our most pressing matter is a body we have recovered. There's no report attached as none of our medical examiners could make out what state the body is in or what caused such a thing. We can't link the disappearances with the body but I have a feeling that they are, the timing is too close. Send who you can, if you can; we need the help from outside sources, and you have the experts.

From the desk of,

Inspector Wit

Fillydelphia Guard Department

Both the Doctor's and Luna's brow seemed to furrow at the exact same time. Luna kept her eye on the parchment while the Doctor looked up at Celestia.

"Disappearances, bodies, inspectors.. Isn't your world a little bit too light-hearted to be having such things?" The Doctor asked with a raised brow.

Celestia gave a small sigh in response, "There are still some whose dark thoughts prevail. Even I cannot stop all evil, Doctor."

"I suppose I'm your expert?" The Doctor asked before rolling up the paper.

"If you have the time, Time Lord. I imagine you will know far more about this than I will." Celestia said, finishing off her tea after she spoke.

"Don't worry, I'm on my way there now. Fillydelphia, sounds exciting. Can't wait." The Doctor said, scroll in hoof as he made his way for the door.

"Hold it, Doctor." Luna spoke up. She turned her glance to Celestia, "You trust this colt with such an important task?"

"Yes, I do. I've trusted this colt with far more grave things. Few hooves of our own can be spared, either. The Summer Sun Celebration is only two days from now and is taking many ponies' full attention." Celestia sighed, but then a hint of a grin appeared on her face. She turned her gaze to the colt in the room, "Doctor, how would you feel about Luna assisting you in this matter?"

Luna was caught off guard by the statement, "But, I-"

"That would be fantastic!" The Doctor had a smile beaming across his snout. "I could use some company. Oh, and magic, in case things need to be moved. Or moons need to be raised, I doubt we'll need that more than other magic, but still, fantastic."

"Wait just a minute, Celestia. Why am I to go with this colt?" said a bewildered Luna.

"Because you are sure to know more about Fillydelphia than the Doctor does. You need to get out from that tower, as well." Celestia said as she poured herself a new cup of tea.

"You know full well I haven't been to Fillydelphia in over a thousand years. Why am _I_ going with the Doctor?" Luna said, seemingly a little miffed.

"You need to to do this, Luna. Please, it will be good for you to be amongst your future subjects." was the soft reply.

Luna sighed, she was already beat but she gave one last attempt. "If I show myself it will only prove to be a distraction for the Doctor and his investigation."

"You will find something that will remedy that situation under the bed in my chambers." Celestia nodded to the Doctor, "You should be familiar with what they are."

After a few seconds of consideration Luna huffed. "Fine, I'll go. I'll find a messenger to get a chariot ready, Fillydelphia is a long way."

"Chariot?" The Doctor spoke up, "We'll be traveling by TARDIS. Come along, Luna!" The Doctor opened the door and made his way down the hall.

Luna gave Celestia one last curious look which was only met with a grin and a shrug. Luna sighed and followed after, closing the door behind her.

Celestia turned to look out the window at the rising sun and take another sip of her tea. She spoke in a quiet, wistful tone. "Good luck, Luna. You will need it, running with the Doctor."

~~~~~~~

The Doctor and Luna hurried their way along to Celestia's room. The guards outside bowed to Luna, and when they rose they turned their eyes to the Doctor, watching him carefully.

"Excuse us, gents, but we just need to get inside." The Doctor said cheerily. The guards both turned their attention to Luna.

One spoke, "Your Highness?"

"Please allow us to pass, guardscolts." Luna said, wondering if the Doctor would've been allowed such entry without her presence.

"As you wish." Both guards spoke at the same time.

The door lit up with Luna's magic and opened, prompting the Time Lord, Moon Princess duo to quickly make their way inside. Luna closed the door behind them and they both went to the bed. The Doctor knelt down on his legs and looked into the darkness beneath the mattress.

"Hmm, no.. no, not that.." The Doctor muttered, and just as Luna was about to shed some light on the situation, literally, a triumphant "Aha!" Came from the Doctor. He reached a hoof under and pulled out a small black case. Within, resting on soft silk, was a pair of glasses which caused a particular response from the Doctor.

"Oh, yes! Brainy specs, excellent. Was wondering where my spare pair went. Oh, and these.. yes, even better." The Doctor grabbed up the glasses and presented them before Luna, "You'll be wearing these, they will keep you as unnoticeable as the next pony."

"Are they enchanted for illusion?" Luna asked as she took the glasses and examined them in one hoof before placing them on.

"No, it's a perception filter. It runs off of the brain's natural instinct to take for granted what is obvious and directs that to a certain part of the anatomy, or the whole body. It can be used on objects, too." The Doctor sighed when he got a raised brow from Luna, "Yes, it's enchanted for illusion. It seems to be working, as well. You'll look like a regular unicorn unless we meet someone who's extra special."  
>"Extra special how?" Luna asked, clearly intrigued by these glasses.<p>

"Mutated in some way, especially telepathic, ultra-sensitive, things of the sort. They'll be able to see past such a filter. Now, let's get going." The Doctor said before turning and opening the door to the TARDIS.

Luna watched the Doctor disappear into the blue box, head tilted. "How are we supposed to travel in that?" She waited a few seconds for a response. "Doctor?" A few more. "Doctor!" She rushed over to the box and pushed inwards.

She stumbled inside, clearly not expecting so much room within the box. She stared around in awe at the walls, the staircases, the large view-screen. Most of her attention was drawn to the rather large center console, however. A glass tube on an elevated platform that was surrounded by a control panel full of knobs and switches and buttons. A staircase led up from that and it reached further into the machine. In the corner of the room there was another staircase that led downwards. She had to give the entire sight at least three complete looks over, her mind in a state of shock she was seeing. As a result, her sharp tongue failed her, and only one word came from her mouth.

"What."

"Welcome to the TARDIS, Luna! What do you think?" The Doctor popped out from behind the glass tube, waiting the response.

"It's..." Was all Luna could manage for a few seconds, then her mind kicked into gear, trying to sum up an adequate explanation.

"Yes?" The Doctor said, excitement clear in his voice.

"It's.. oh! It's another dimension! That has to be it, am I right? Transcendentally dimensional?" Luna asked, in wonder.

The Doctor was far less enthusiastic. "Yes, you're right.. very boring, but right."

"This is only a theory, though. Having a separate dimension inside of an object is purely conjecture. Such dimensional engineering hasn't even been put into testing by the most accomplished scientific minds. Science itself hasn't advanced nearly far enough for such a thing, how do you..?" Luna asked, but then her memory jogged for the second time that morning. "Time Lord, Celestia called you a Time Lord. You're not even a pony, are you?"

"You're quick. Yes, this _will_ be fun! Very clever, Luna. Something tells me we'll need that. Not that there's anything wrong with being very clever in general, but it should help us in Fillydelphia." The Doctor rambled as he raced around the control console, seemingly flipping switches and adjusting knobs at random. "Hah! Fillydelphia!"

Luna trotted up to the control console, watching the Doctor's movements as she followed him. He typed in something on a keypad, or tried. "Blimey, hooves.. rather large.." He looked about for a solution and found one. He pulled something out of a holder in the console, a metal cylinder with a light on the end of it. He held it in one hoof, pointing the lightbulb end at the keypad, before pressing in on a button. The lightbulb lit up a bright green and a noise emanated from the device that was akin to high-pitched mechanical buzzing. The keypad didn't move but symbols appeared on the screen and that satisfied the Doctor. He placed the object down in its holder and turned to Luna.

"Are you ready? The first time is always the wildest." The Doctor said, a grin on his face.

"Ready for what?" Luna asked, a little worried at the question.

"Just hang on tight." The Doctor said before placing his hoof on a lever and yelling, "Geronimo!" as he pushed the lever up. The entire world seemed to shake for Luna, and she fought back the urge to scream as the Doctor started laughing. Luna was scared, but it was a good fear. Ever since her return all she had done was sit up in the tower, every night, reading and writing and learning. This was her chance to actually do something, to get out and see the world she missed for a thousand years. Luna may not have known what this machine was, or who the Doctor was, but she was sure that this colt had seen sights that were beyond her imagination. That this machine had been to places she could only dream of. The thought of that made Luna scared, but it made her even more excited. The Doctor was right.

This was going to be _fun_.


	3. Chapter 3

The inside of the TARDIS settled after the initial shaking occurred. Luna let go of the railing she was using as support; likewise, the Doctor let go of his control console. As they 'flew' through space and time the ship hummed quietly with energy and the object within the tube of the center console moved up and down in a rhythmic motion. The Doctor ran up the stairs and disappeared down a corridor at the top of them.

"What is this machine?" Luna asked after the Doctor as she trotted up the stairs.

"The TARDIS. Didn't I tell you that?" came the Doctor's voice from further down the hallway that Luna was looking into.

"What's a Tardis? How does it work?" Luna wondered out loud, but loud enough for the Doctor to hear her.

"It's a Time And Relative Dimensions In Space. TARDIS. It works because.. because.. I can't explain it fully while I'm fighting with this wardrobe.. Best I can give you is timey-wimey, spacey-wacey," the Doctor answered in a strained voice.

Luna followed the voice and turned into a room that defied logic. A set of spiral stairs was centered in the middle of the room. They reached high up to the ceiling, at least three or four stories up. On each of the levels was racks and shelves and drawers full of clothes of all types. The Doctor was on the second floor, just finishing with putting on a jacket that fit him well. It was simple and brown, a darker shade than of his coat, but not quite as dark as his mane.

"What is that for? Certainly not to make a fashion statement, seeing as how the bow tie already makes you look ridiculous," Luna said as the Doctor came bounding down the stairs.

"Bow ties are cool. I keep saying that, but nobody ever seems to listen," the Doctor said while passing Luna and heading back to the control console. "As for the jacket, I needed some place to put my sonic, and unless you ponies have built in pockets that I'm not aware of, this is the solution."

"No_pony_. You really ought to start speaking like 'us ponies,' unless you want to draw an undue amount of attention to yourself," Luna remarked as she was trotting down the stairs to the Doctor, who was placing the sonic screwdriver into a jacket pocket. "What is that?"

"It's a sonic screwdriver. My own little form of magic," the Doctor walked over to the doors and waited, "I can't wait. Fillydelphia, here we come. Let's get going, Luna!"

Luna quickly made her way over to the doors, "I hope you will keep in mind why we are here, Doctor. You've been tasked to help the Fillydelphia authorities, not to sight-see." In truth, Luna did want to see the city for all its worth, how it had changed over one thousand years. She remembered it as little more than a small settlement. She also wanted to see her subjects, to interact with them. This was her chance to prove to herself, and to Equestria that she had changed.

The Doctor nodded, "Of course. Now, then," he pushed open the doors, they creaking a bit as they moved, and stepped outside.

Luna followed and the door shut itself behind her, which was a good thing, because she was too focused on the city that surrounded them. The TARDIS, the Doctor, and herself were on a paved sidewalk next to a busy street. Carriages ran up and down the street and ponies of all different colors passed them on their hooves. Buildings surrounded them on all sides, varying from each to each in height and shape. Luna noticed that none of the ponies that passed them had taken notice of the large blue box that had just appeared. She looked over at the Doctor and asked, "Perception filter?"

"You're catching on. Yours seems to be working well, also. Now, we should go find that Inspector Wit," the Doctor said while he looked about.

"He should be in there," Luna pointed across the street to a brick building with bold lettering on the top, "'Fillydelphia Guard Station,' or at least, we can inquire where to find him."

The Doctor gave a comforting pat to the TARDIS, "Good girl, she is. She's always taken me where I needed to go. Except for that time where I stepped into a shoot out ... But, that's ancient history. Shall we?" The Doctor waited until the street was relatively clear, before quickly making his way across it.  
>Luna followed close behind, wondering why Celestia had put so much faith into this strange colt. Once they had made it across and stepped inside it was rather unremarkable. A gray pony that sat behind a desk looked up and when the pair reached the desk he asked, "Can I help you?"<p>

"Yes, I believe you can. We're looking for an Inspector Wit," Luna spoke up first.

"Oh, no. Another disappearance? Here," the colt reached into a compartment at his desk and pulled out a sheet with a neatly organized table setup, "fill this out, and I'll see if I can get a hold of the Inspector."

The Doctor pulled a small black booklet from his jacket and held it open for the desk clerk to see. "No, no. We're the experts he requested from the CPA."

A few seconds of the gray colt taking a good look at the ID and he nodded. He put away the paper he had just pulled out, "Take a seat and I'll call the Inspector," the colt picked up a phone and dialed a few numbers.

Luna looked at the phone and tilted her head. She had heard of phones, but had never had the opportunity to see or use one. She hadn't quite gotten to them in her history texts. She decided that she would take a closer look at them later, and turned with the Doctor to go take a seat. They were waiting for less than five minutes before a brown unicorn colt with glasses, green eyes, and a carefully combed jet black mane poked his head out of a set of double doors near the desk. "We'll talk in the back, if you please," he said in a clear, pronounced voice before disappearing behind the doors.

Both stood up and followed after the colt, the Doctor a little bit too eagerly. When they crossed the threshold they entered into a back room full of bustling ponies. Many cubicles were occupied with ponies of all colors typing away at a computers or looking over different paper files. The colt who had asked them in was easily identifiable within his own workspace, already at work on a keyboard while his eyes scanned the screen. Luna noticed that the colt was wearing a simple black vest and a watch. When the Doctor and Luna approached and entered the square space the colt swiveled in his chair and looked as if he was about to speak, but he kept his gaze on Luna for a second too long. He recovered and said, "Excuse me, for a moment I thought I had.. met you before, yes. Anyways, you two are CPA?"

The Doctor pulled out his booklet once more and held it open for the colt to see, briefly. "Yes, that's us. I'm the Doctor, and this is my.. assistant, Miss Starry Skies," the Doctor turned his head to Luna and gave her a small wink, out of the colt's view.

Luna put on a smile and simply nodded, deciding to go along with the cover, rather than cringe at being called the Doctor's 'assistant.' "We're here to help. I presume you are the Inspector who sent for it?"  
>"Yes, Inspector Silent Wit. I've been assigned lead on these missing ponies reports. What do you want to know?" Wit swiveled in his chair as he spoke, already going back to the computer.<p>

"How do you type with those things, for one," the Doctor said as he watched Wit working. Wit turned his head and gave the Doctor a raised brow, which was only answered with a broad grin. "It's a fair question."

"Excuse him, he can be rather.. off-hoof at times," Luna interjected, quickly, "you mentioned in your short report that when you send ponies to follow-up on the claims of missing ponies the reporters have no remembrance of it?"

"Indeed, Miss Skies. It's very puzzling. We had the first pony taken in for questioning, but I decided they should be let go after the fourth pony said they hadn't called the guards for such a matter," Wit had returned to his computer, managing to ignore a very curious Doctor who was looking over his shoulder. "In all there have been a total of twenty-one reports of missing ponies over the span of about a month. There's even an alarming pattern of regularity about it; all the reports are called in sometime during the night, and then followed up on, after a search, in the morning. By that time the reporters claim to not remember such a thing. If it keeps, I expect another call.." Wit stopped to check his watch before continuing, "some time in the next two hours."

"And what about the body? You said you recovered one," the Doctor said, a bit absentmindedly.

"Yes, but as I believe I mentioned within my report none of our medical examiners could identify what actually happened to the colt. His hind-legs seem to be missing from about knee down. Not chopped off, or torn.. just gone," Wit spoke quietly, like he was actively trying to figure out what that meant. "As I also mentioned, I only had a feeling that it was linked to the disappearances. He was picked up in a back alley after being found there by one of our guards. The guard was told by a citizen they saw strange lights coming out from the alley, and when the citizen called in the lights stopped. I think the citizen was wise to have gotten help, first."

"Very wise, yes. Weird lights are usually pretty ominous," said the Doctor, "but I'm more concerned with the body, where is it?"

"We shouldn't waste time, Doctor," Luna spoke up, "it seems highly unlikely that this body is connected to the missing ponies. Besides, the body has already been examined."

"Things, no matter how strange, happen for a reason. And when two strange things are happening at the same time, they're usually connected," was the Doctor's retort, "and the good inspector called us 'experts' in because he wanted our help, anyways."

Luna let out a small huff, her logical mind couldn't see how the events were linked, but she also couldn't deny that they could be connected. She resolved that it couldn't hurt to take a look at the body and stepped out of the cubicle. "Let's get moving, then."

The inspector finished typing something and then got out of the chair, leading the Doctor and Luna further back in the large room. They stopped next to an elevator and he pressed the button labeled 'B1.' They didn't have to wait long before they entered the car and were on the basement floor. The doors parted to reveal a hallway with clean white tile flooring and pale green walls; all lit by fluorescent lighting. Wit guided them to a set of double doors with frosted glass windows above the handle. A sign on the wall next to the doors clearly read 'morgue.'

"No one's come to claim him, and I didn't want him cremated until this situation is dealt with," Wit opened the door as he spoke, and when they entered he pointed to a far table. "That's him. Compounding the examiners' confusions are that he doesn't seem to decompose, nor does he have any scent."

The Doctor rushed over to the corpse and busied himself with the hind-legs. Flat stumps that offered a view of muscle and bone seemed to be at the halfway point. There didn't seem to be any indication of blood loss around the wound, nor any ruffling of the coat around that point. It was if that portion of the legs was never there to begin with. The Doctor reached his hoof into his jacket and pulled out his screwdriver, to which he immediately went to work with. He pointed it at the body and activated it, first running it along the hind-legs, then the rest of the body. Once he had done so he flicked it and it's mid section extended, at which point his brow furrowed at what he saw. "That.. that can't be right.."

Wit and Luna by this point had also moved to the body and were watching the Doctor work with the tool. "What is that?" Wit asked first.

"A sonic screwdriver, apparently. Don't ask, I'm not too sure on the details," Luna responded, watching the Doctor seemingly look at nothing while he muttered to the tool.

"I've got good news, and I've got worse news. The good news is that I've figured out why the body's not decomposing. The worse news is that it's not alive," The Doctor spoke up, and left it at that as if it explained everything while he continued working with the device, moving it about as he muttered.  
>"Of course he's not alive, Doctor. He's dead," Wit deadpanned.<p>

"Yes, yes, but that's not what I meant. It's more like he wasn't alive to begin with, or at least his body wasn't.. Whatever happened to this colt literally caused him, or his body, to act as if it was never _alive_ in the first place," the Doctor responded quickly, "On the other hand, the reason it's not decomposing is because the bacteria that causes decomposition isn't registering the body as dead, because it isn't."  
>"It's not dead, either?" Luna was the first to speak up this time.<p>

"That _is_ what I just said. The body is stuck in some sort of limbo, it's as if... as if it never _existed_," the Doctor said, letting the last word come out slowly as his mind worked.

Any further discussion was interrupted by a ringing that came from Wit's vest. The inspector reached a hoof inside of his vest and pulled out a cell phone, which he promptly flipped open and held to his ear before answering. "Wit," he said before listening for a moment and nodding, "got it," he closed the phone and returned it to his pocket. "Another call in of a missing pony. I'm going to go help the search."

"No," the Doctor said as he put his screwdriver away, "I think you were right, inspector. I don't think this body is a separate occurrence, and I think I have an idea of what happened to him. But to be sure, I need you to take us to the pony who reported this in, right now, rather than a few hours from now when it will be too late."

The tone of urgency Luna heard in the Doctor's voice took her back, she hadn't expected such a serious response from the strange and seemingly scatter-brained colt. Up until now, he hadn't seemed focused or intent, but now there was this feeling of confidence and determination; as well as a grave look on his face. Luna knew he knew what was going on, but she felt that he might be one of the few ponies that could stop whatever it was; she didn't think she could and she was an immortal goddess. It was strange, she thought, she was starting to understand her sister's belief in this colt, and he hadn't even done anything yet.

Wit paused and thought for a few seconds, before nodding. "I understand. Let's get going, we should have a ride waiting for us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Note: For the sake of canon, I'm going to say this whole story takes place sometime after Season 2's Luna episode. Also I'm going to say that the wavy hair thing can just be turned on and off by the princesses, for the sake of this story. Hope that doesn't upset anybody.


	4. Chapter 4

The Doctor and Luna had followed Wit through a few hallways and had quickly arrived into a large garage full of dull gray carriages. Wit led them to one of the wooden carts and his horn glowed briefly with a light green glow before the door swung open. The inside was lined with a simple black carpet and a few black cushions. The Doctor and Luna stepped in and took a seat, and Wit was not far behind them. Rather than take a seat the inspector walked toward the front of the carriage where a small glass cube was located. His horn glowed for a few seconds, and the cube glowed with a soft inner light. Wit took a seat and then the carriage slowly started rolling forward.

"We're going across town, it will take some time, even at full speed," the inspector said, a little wearily after the expenditure of magic.

"Tell whoever is pulling this thing to go all out. We need all the time we can with this pony," was the Doctor's response.

"No pony is pulling the cart, it's moving to the destination by means of magical engineering," Wit clarified, "it's a system that's been recently developed. It's only in use by the guard, it's been rather helpful. More dependable than some hopeful cadet pulling us along."

"Ponies have come so far since.." Luna wondered aloud before catching herself, "since so many years ago. I was just reading a book on our history some six-hundred years ago, it was very interesting," Luna put on her best convincing smile for the inspector.

"I'm sure," Wit said in a monotone voice.

The Doctor had busied himself over by the glass box that was piloting the carriage. He was looking it over and he eventually took out his screwdriver and preformed a quick scan. The Time Lord mumbled something and continued with his curiosity, with a "ooh" coming from him every once in awhile.

Wit watched the Doctor move about with a raised brow. The inspector had settled for resting on top of one of the cushions, and gave a small yawn before turning his head to Luna. "Tell me, Miss Skies, what exactly is your cutie mark supposed to represent?"

Before Luna got the chance to answer, the Doctor chimed in. "Cutie mark? Of course, those things.. what a.. rather undramatic name for those, really.." He shook his head and went back to his scanning.

Luna shot the Doctor a look of annoyance, then turned her gaze to the inspector. "Ah.. I am rather good at astronomy, as it happens. Particularly the phases of the moon. Yes."

Wit tilted his head, "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly does that have to do with the CPA?"

Scrambling, Luna came up with an excuse that she hoped would work. "All I can tell you is that the CPA has need for a variety of different specialists, beyond that it's classified," Luna once again tried to form a convincing smile. After all, she was masquerading as a Canterlot agent.

In response, Wit gave a little nod and, "Of course."

The princess in disguise realized that she hadn't even bothered taking a look at the inspector's mark. She moved her gaze toward Wit's cutie mark and found something not entirely surprising. The special 'tattoo' took the form of a magnifying glass, fitting he should end up where he was. When Luna took a closer look, however, she realized there were a total of five tiny dots, three of which were connected by thin lines. "Inspector, what is your special talent, if you don't mind my asking?"

Wit turned his eyes away and spoke softly. "Let's just say I'm good at seeing the small things and leave it at that."

"Of course.." Luna didn't fail to notice the brown pony's reaction, and she sensed there was a story behind those words, but she decided it was not her place to push the issue. Well, she was a princess, she could very well get his story if she so pleased, but her cover was more important than her curiosity.

The rest of the ride was spent in quiet. At least for Luna and Wit, anyways. The Doctor was still muttering and moving about the crystal apparatus, his mind in deep concentration. Luna kept herself busy by admiring the city outside of the carriage. It was just so big, so busy. Ponies were hustling and bustling on every street side, most going in or coming out of the very large buildings they continued to pass. Eventually, though, her vision was no longer consumed by massive metal structures. The buildings they were passing now were of a much more manageable size, only five or six stories high. She felt the carriage roll to a halt and Wit stood, stretched, then opened the door and stepped out.

Luna stopped at the threshold, waiting for a certain pony with a bowtie, who was still messing with the crystal. "Come, Doctor, it was your idea to visit the initial reporter."

"Yes, yes, just one more.. got it!" The Doctor triumphantly exclaimed before putting his sonic screwdriver away. "That should do it," he turned around and made his way through the door onto the sidewalk.

The moon princess followed after and closed the door behind her. Wit and the Doctor had already trotted up a set of steps in front of an old brick building. A guard in dull blue clothing greeted the two of them and lead them inside. Luna quickly caught up and fell in line behind the guard.

"She's in here," the guard had stopped in front of a door, "I told her to expect you, so you should be fine to go on in whenever."

"Thanks, Sentinel. We'll take it from here," Wit gently opened the door with his magic and held it open for the other two, before closing it quietly. They were in a dark hallway, but a small rustling and a light from another room gave them a good idea of where to go. The group entered a small, lightly furnished kitchen with a table and four chairs as the centerpiece. An older mare sat in one chair, and while the rest of the table was immaculately cleaned, the space in front of her was filled with tissues.

Wit approached the table and spoke softly, but with enough firmness to get her attention. "Excuse me, ma'am. I'm Inspector Wit with the FGD, this is the Doctor and Miss Starry Skies. We would like to ask you a few questions if that's okay with you."

The mare looked up and nodded in an absent sort of way. "Yes, I'm Clover.. please, take a seat.."

"I'd rather stand, ma'am. Now, who did you report missing?" Wit began.

"My son, Rough. When he didn't come home from work at the usual time I knew something was wrong," Clover pulled out another tissue, sensing she would need it before she was done.

"Couldn't he have been late?" Wit asked, although he figured he might know the answer.

"Not my son, no. He comes home every night, at the same time, exactly. If he had to stay late, he would call. He didn't call," Clover brought the tissue to her eyes, sensing another well up of tears, "and with these recent disappearances.. I told that guard out there the same thing."

"I understand, ma'am, but we have to cover everything. Do you know where he could be?" At this point Wit had a notebook and pen out in case any significant information was shared.

"No," she stopped and took a shaky breath, "I even gave him an extra hour, I thought maybe he happened along a nice filly on the way home.. He would be back by now, inspector, and he's not. Please, find him.. please.." Clover broke down into another session of sobbing.

"One last question, where does your son work, ma'am?" Wit said this quietly, giving her time to compose herself before answering.

"A factory near here, Foreman's Mill, I think it's called," Clover looked at each of the three separately, "Please tell me you'll find him. He's the only family I've got left, and I don't want to lose him.. especially not after.." She took another tissue and fresh tears burst forth.

The Doctor took the initiative and stepped forward, pulled out a chair, and had a seat near her. "Hey, hey.. we'll find him," he said in a soothing tone. He reached out a hoof and placed it on her shoulder, "We'll find him, it's going to be okay.."

Clover calmed a little, enough to coherently speak. "Thank you.."

"Now, what were you about to say? 'Especially not after' what?" The Doctor asked, leaning forward.

"We.. we had a fight before he left for work this morning.. I can't even remember what it was we fought over, something stupid and childish.. I ended up yelling at him and he stormed out of the house and I was so mad.." Clover stopped to draw in breath and compose herself before beginning again, "I was going to make it up to him. I planned on making his favorite pie for dessert tonight.. But then he didn't show up and I got so worried.. and.. I just want him to know I love him. He's so good to me, he's been supporting us on his job and he's been so good about it and.. and.."

"It's okay, it's okay.." The Doctor crooned, "I want you to do something for me, okay, Clover? Tell me everything about Rough, his birthday, his friends, his hobbies.. Just those things a mother notices.. Tell me all about those." The Doctor smiled and pat her shoulder.

"Well.. he was born on Neighvember 11th.." After reciting this fact she seemed to smile a little, and looked off into nothingness, "See, he always loved tinkering.. When he was younger I'd buy him toys and he'd get done playing with them and then take them apart, piece by piece.. he could almost put them back together, too.. That's probably why his cutie mark was a picture of.." A look of horror crossed Clover's face, and she looked desperately over at the Doctor, "Why can't I remember what his cutie mark looks like? Oh, I'm a terrible mother, I.. I can't even remember what _he_ looks like.."

"Think of him, you have to keep thinking of him!" The Doctor spoke in an urgent and hushed tone. "You have to keep remembering him, all of him, all at once. Keep him with you, don't let him go. You can't let him go."

Clover slouched completely in her seat, "I'm a terrible mother. Terrible, awful, ungrateful mother.. My son, my.. His name? How did I forget his name? Oh, I love him, my son.. I love him so much."

"Good, that's good! Love him, remember him. You can do it, just stay strong, Clover, his name is Rough, your son's name is Rough." The Doctor was almost standing at this point.

"Rough is his name? That's good.. I love you, Rough, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love.."  
>A silence and then Clover seemed to perk up and lifted her head. Her face still had tears streaming down it, but her eyes were clear and bright. She looked at the three, then down to the tissues, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I should've cleaned up before company came over.. Oh, dear, I appear to have been crying.." She looked at the tissues a little absent-mindedly before standing up and gathering them, depositing them in a near by trash bin. "No matter.. Can I get you three anything? Some tea, perhaps? You'll have to excuse me, I feel a bit odd.. I can't shake this feeling I'm forgetting something.. It will come in time, I'm sure."<p>

"No, no I'm afraid it won't, Clover.." The Doctor said sadly. He stood up and looked over at Wit and Luna, who both had confusion written all over their faces. "We're done here.. We need to get back to the guard station." He walked slowly past them both, his head inclined toward the floor.

Luna looked over at Wit and they both looked over at Clover. Once again Luna felt the familiar feeling of knowing something is very wrong, but not what.

"Thank you for your time, ma'am." Wit said before stepping out, Luna close behind.

They found the Doctor waiting for them at the carriage, looking impatient and sad at the same time. Rather than enter the carriage, Wit stopped in front of the colt and gave him a steady gaze, "Alright, Doctor, I need you to level with me. What just happened in there?"

"You're dealing with something beyond your world, Wit." The Doctor responded, "Now, we have to get moving if we want to catch it."

"Being cryptic doesn't answer my question, Doctor," was Wit's measured reply, "I have a right to know what happened in there, and you're going to tell me exactly what I want to know."

The Doctor turned his head away for a second, then sighed. "Get in the cart, get us started for the station.. I'll explain to you both in there."

Wit entered the carriage and moved over to the crystal to begin working his magic on it. Luna looked over to the Doctor and looked him up and down, seeming to size him up for the fourth time, "That was the truth, wasn't it? That whatever caused Clover to act that way really isn't from Equestria."

The Doctor looked over at her, "See, Luna, that's what I like. Clever and collected. Most people have some sort of huge meltdown when they realize beings not of their world are here and are real."

"I know you're not of this world, so I have a bit of prior preparation. As for a meltdown, I will probably have one after this is all over." Luna left it at that and stepped into the carriage. She chose to take a seat and wait for the Doctor to start his explanation. Her curiosity caused her a great deal of impatience while Wit prepared the carriage and the Doctor paced in front of her. When the carriage began to move and Wit had settled into a seat the Doctor looked up, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Wit, you need to be aware of a few basic things before I get on to my explanation. I'm not from this world, as in, I'm an alien, extra-terrestrial.. or extra-equestrial, maybe. Got it? Good," the Doctor held up a hoof, "No questions, not yet. Now, Clover, what she just experienced was the fabric of time itself being disrupted as Rough was erased. Pulled from time itself. Gone," the Doctor held up a hoof again, but shook his head, "No snapping, right. Anyways, Rough as a memory, as a pony, has been wiped clean from the minds of those who had a direct connection with him. We remember because of.. well, not to sound full of myself, but because of me; but I'll get to that in a moment. As for everypony else, any experience and any time spent with Rough is now absent from their mind. That's what's been happening to all the people who have reported somepony missing, and then they can't remember filing such a claim," the Doctor had begun pacing at this point, "But, it's not just ponies who are affected. If you happen to try and look up those reports you'll find they're completely blank; because, again, those who have undergone this process have been wiped from time. They never existed in time."

The Doctor heaved a small sigh, "Now, on to what is causing this. A time parasite. They literally take all of a person's 'time' that has been spent and will be spent and use it as life force and a source of power. They're rather clever, unfortunately, and this one's probably feeling pretty good about itself. It's making a power grab. A time parasite only needs one source of energy every so often to be sustained. I don't know why it's going on a feeding spree, but I can assure you it's not good for Equestria," at this the Doctor stopped his pacing and looked at the two, "Any questions?"

Wit turned his head to Luna with a bewildered look on his face, "Is he really not of this world?"  
>Luna hesitated, but nodded, "He is one of the princess' most valuable assets.. and is <em>not<em> supposed to be so free with the knowledge of his extra-terrestrial existence."

The inspector slowly looked down, then back up with a shrug, "I'll have a moment later. For now, Doctor, answer me two things. You mentioned we can remember Rough because of you, why?"

"Simply put, Miss Skies here has been in the TARDIS, which is just enough exposure to the time rift to be able to remember such things, if indirectly.. If she happened to have personally known Rough, it would be more difficult.. As for you, inspector.. Well.." the Doctor tilted his head a tiny bit, "I don't know, actually.. But there's no time to test you for chronological abnormalities. Next question."

"Tardis? Chronological abnormalities?" Wit sighed, "I don't want to know right now. What I do want to know is how do we stop this.. time parasite?" Wit asked in a tone that indicated he might not want to know.

"That's going to be tricky.. for a few reasons. First, we have to actually have to catch it. Second, we separate it from it's host. Thirdly, we catch it somehow. And finally, we confront it," the Doctor listed off.  
>"Host?" Luna asked, though it did make sense. It was a time parasite, after all.<p>

"Yes, it doesn't have a corporeal form, as it happens.. To be able to absorb the time energy it has to have a conduit, a living being.. A living being that _willingly _let the parasite use themselves as a host, at that," the Doctor put special contempt on the last few words.

"And how do we separate it from it's host?" Luna felt hesitant about that question; she got a feeling she might not like the answer.

"That's the tricky part, as it happens," the Doctor began, "one of us will have to submit to it so we can challenge it. See, time parasites can't just take someone's 'time' from them at will. They have to trick someone into giving it to them, somehow."

Wit bit his lip before beginning, "So, to get this straight, we have to find it, first. Then one of us has to submit to possibly _being erased from time itself_. And finally, to top it all off, we have to catch an incorporeal being... Have I got it all?"

"Yeah, pretty much," the Doctor said casually.

"Joy," Wit said in a voice that was practically laden with sarcasm, "and do you have a plan?"

"Ehh... I'm working on it."

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>Notes: Alright, if you've made it this far, then thanks for reading. If you could, please just leave a small comment on anything you feel needs to be worked on. Not just on grammar and structure, but on content and characters. Notably, that whole bit with Clover was the first time I've tried anything 'emotional' in writing, and I'd like to know how it came off.<p>

I like to think I'm getting better with every chapter, but I'm not too sure. I want to use this space to thank Enigma9994 and Coconutswallow for their advice which I hope has improved my writing. As well as Pony Draft for hosting my writing, and Mike for pre-reading it.


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